Joanna MacKenzie
@joannamackenzie
Literary Agent
Agent at Nelson Literary Agency. Chicagoan via Canada. she/her
23 MSWL
1 Queries

I'm back open to queries and can't wait to hear from all of you amazing #amwriting and #amquerying humans. Send me your twisty high concept thrillers, voicey mysteries, and timely and fun commercial fiction. #MSWL

Stephanie Stein
@stephlystein
Editor
Senior Editor @HarperChildrens & @HarperTeen , she/her, 47% caffeine by volume. Opinions my own, and I do have a lot of them. 🌈
213 MSWL
34 AskAgent

... a broad range of MG & YA fiction and graphic novels--fantasy (my first & greatest love as a reader), historical, romance, some great humor, and high-concept contemporary (especially with a framing device such as epistolary elements, then-and-now timelines, etc.) #MSWL

Ramona Pina
@PinaRamona
Literary Agent
She/Her🇨🇻🇯🇲🌟Book Hoarder 🌟host @podcasthollow 🌟DIY enthusiast 🌟Writer 🌟Literary Agent @bookendslit 🌟 QueryManager.com/rpina
13 MSWL

•Think high concept sci-fi like Dreamfall Chapters (video game), where people are addicted to virtual reality and can't funciton in society.
•Dark fantasy themes with equally dark humor like Sweeney Todd and Dark Shadows. Tim Burton is a vibe.

Peter Knapp
@petejknapp
Literary Agent
Lit agent with @parkandfine representing kid lit with enthusiasm! petejknapp.com
290 MSWL
118 AskAgent
228 Queries
5 Tips

We also love high-concept, high-stakes middle grade fantasy like AMARI & THE NIGHT BROTHERS, ARU SHAH, NEVERMOOR, and TRISTAN STRONG. #MSWL

Trisha de Guzman
@trishadeg
Editor
🇵🇭 Filipino immigrant ✨ Editor at Farrar Straus Giroux Books For Young Readers ✨ wannabe outdoorsman @mackidsbooks @fiercereads #WNDB #POCinPub
36 MSWL

YOUNG ADULT:
--QTPOC romance with banter, emotionally complex, flawed characters, and ✨ intersectionality ✨
--High-concept speculative fiction examining current issues (esp horror & magical realism)
--Sweeping historical fiction about untold movements, events, or individuals

Sam B. Farkas
@SamBFarkas
Literary Agent
Foreign Rights & Agent at Jill Grinberg Literary. History dork. Gritty fanatic. Licorice connoisseur. She/her. Writer rep’d by @patricianels
42 MSWL

I'd also love to see high-concept YA thrillers, especially if they incorporate a structure that adds to the tension. I'm haunted by Stephanie Kuehn's WHEN I AM THROUGH WITH YOU, which is told from jail, and I'd looooove something like that. #MSWL

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

I am eager for more high-concept sci-fi and fantasy with literary and upmarket feel. Examples of my favorites in this space include THE POWER by Naomi Alderman, THE AGE OF MIRACLES by Karen Thompson Walker, and THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern.

Cecilia Lyra
@ceciliaclyra
Literary Agent
Storyteller & Storyseller / Associate Literary Agent @PSLiterary ✍🏽 Co-host of @TSNOTYAW podcast 🎧 Feminist. Latinx. Immigrant. Reader.
142 MSWL
58 AskAgent
2 Tips

Psychological dramas in the vein of THE PUSH by Ashley Audrain are high on my wish-list, as are high-concept thrillers that keep me guessing. I devoured WE WERE NEVER HERE by Andrea Bartz and WHO IS MAUD DIXON? by Alexandra Andrews.

Mara Delgado-Sánchez
@little_mswriter
Assistant Editor
🇵🇷 That witch from the Caribbean. Word wrangler @stmartinspress | @wednesdaybooks . Somewhere with the chupacabras. Opinions mine. (she/her)
73 MSWL

and high concept thrillers. I want to see something different and fresh

- For contemporary, I’m looking for stories on the lighter side (friendships, romcoms, family, etc)

For Adult:

Basically what I said above. I also do category romance, women’s fiction centered on #MSWL

Emily Forney
@EmilyKaitlinnn
Literary Agent
Literary Agent @bookendslit • Undiscovered National Treasure • Neighborhood Book Bimbo • emilykaitlin.com for #MSWL (she/her)
58 MSWL
16 AskAgent

I would love to work on a high concept, beautifully aesthetic YA fantasy, period drama, spy or boarding school story with series potential #mswl

Beth Phelan
@beth_phelan
Literary Agent
she/her. mg & ya literary agent @galltzackerlit . founder 501c3 NPO @_DiverseVoices (#DVpit/#DVart, DVcon &more). closed to unsolicited submissions.
128 MSWL
125 AskAgent
27 Tips
Beth Phelan
@beth_phelan
Literary Agent
she/her. mg & ya literary agent @galltzackerlit . founder 501c3 NPO @_DiverseVoices (#DVpit/#DVart, DVcon &more). closed to unsolicited submissions.
128 MSWL
125 AskAgent
27 Tips

I’ve been getting thru my requested submissions and looking for more!

#mswl:
YA grounded thrillers, high concept contemporary with a speculative twist
MG non-portal fantasy, speculative twists, intergenerational stories

Everything with and by marginalized people please!

Kaitlyn Johnson
@RedPenKaitlyn
Literary Agent
Agent @belcastr . insta: kjbelcastro. Freelance Editor. Serial comma for life. She/her. Query at QueryManager.com/1147
279 MSWL
345 AskAgent
55 Queries
385 Tips

MG Novels

contemporary, fantasy, and historical

am open to novel in verse but must be very high concept
#amagenting #mswl

Dara Hyde
@dzhyde
Literary Agent
Senior Agent, Hill Nadell Literary Agency @hillnadell . Culture consumer, lover of sunshine, trying my best. Query via agency website. She/her.
17 MSWL

I delight in being hooked by a high concept and a clever premise, but that creative vision needs strong character development and an attention to every word. I love gorgeous writing AND plot! 6/

Amber Caraveo
@AmberCaraveo
Literary Agent
Literary agent & co-founder: @SkylarkLit . Loves sunny days, myths & mysteries, children's books, YA books, all books! (She/her)
15 MSWL
65 AskAgent

Jo E. Verrill @verrillverrill

Thank you to the brilliant @AmberCaraveo for writing this very helpful and inspiring article for @Words8Pictures wordsandpics.org/2021/09/agent-…

Dear Authors, once you’ve followed these tips - if indeed you choose to do so! - please send me all your brilliant, high-concept, attention-grabbing manuscripts!!! I’m absolutely on the lookout for something completely new and wonderful! 🤗 #mswl

P.S. Literary Agency
@PSLiterary
Literary Agency
Representing a diverse list of internationally published, award-winning, bestselling and debut creators.
2641 MSWL
71 AskAgent
3 Queries
179 Tips

“LGBTQIA+ novel in the vein of ONE DAY (high concept, unique structure, deep and sweeping love story).” @carlywatters #MSWL psliterary.com/submissions/

Sarah Grill
@SarahGrill1
Editor
Associate Editor @StMartinsPress . she/her. Avid dog-spotter and Chicago native. Opinions my own but deep dish is better than thin crust.
24 MSWL

#MSWL In YA: Ever on the hunt for my light-hearted Jewish rom-com. Particularly interested in the trend toward more traditional mysteries (see TRULY DEVIOUS, GOOD GIRLS, ACE OF SPADES) with a strong investigative drive. Always have room for smart, high-concept contemp retellings.

P.S. Literary Agency
@PSLiterary
Literary Agency
Representing a diverse list of internationally published, award-winning, bestselling and debut creators.
2641 MSWL
71 AskAgent
3 Queries
179 Tips
Kristine Swartz
@KristineESwartz
Editor
Book editor, bread baker, BTS stan.💜 Proudly Asian American. She/her. Opinions are just my own, but valid nonetheless!
11 MSWL

More explicit romances with high concept hooks. Let's crank up the 🔥🔥! #MSWL